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Replies: 21
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Legend [16733]
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Legend [16733]
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Orange Blooded [2419]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:14 AM
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I used to dive for Megaladon teeth near the spot he was attacked in. I stopped after I came nose to nose with a sleeping gator next to a log on the bottom. That was the last of my zero visibility diving. I took up spearfishing and have never been back in the river.
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Orange Blooded [2613]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
Apr 22, 2024, 9:49 AM
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Brave man. Scary
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CU Medallion [65733]
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My near miss in the Cooper river 40+ years ago was not that dramatic, although
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:14 AM
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it DID give me an adrenaline rush I could have done without! I was fishing one of the old rice paddy channels, when my lure got stuck on an underwater stump, in less than two feet of water. I could look down and see it. But, just as I was about to reach my hand down into the water to unsnag it, I happened to notice that ALSO two feet under the water, coiled up next to the stump, was a good sized water moccasin.
I decided the lure wasn't really that valuable after all, and popped the line. In fact, I almost popped and pooped at the same time, but not quite. THAT would have meant a premature end to the fishing trip, for shore!
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CU Medallion [65733]
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Hope he still has all his appendages, can't really tell through all the
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:16 AM
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bandaging.
Wow, after actually reading the whole story, he is INCREDIBLY lucky to still be here alive at all, much less with his arm more or less intact.
In the gator's defense, he was in ITS home, not the other way around. It will still be hopefully caught, and either harvested or relocated to a more remote area.
Message was edited by: 76er®
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Orange Blooded [2419]
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Re: Hope he still has all his appendages, can't really tell through all the
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Apr 22, 2024, 12:49 PM
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Yes he still has all his arms hands and fingers. He was very lucky.
As for harvesting or relocation, that unlikely is to happen. More so impossible unless you plan to remove all gators from the Cooper. There are way too many gators in the Cooper River for that to happen.
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Legend [15545]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:17 AM
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I don't think I want a fossil tooth that badly. These alligator issues have gotten way out of hand, not just in the Cooper river, but all over the place.
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CU Medallion [65733]
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He already has a case full of incredible ones. After that encounter, I think I
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:21 AM
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would let that be my total, and call it a career.
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110%er [7606]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
Apr 22, 2024, 12:55 PM
[ in reply to Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator ] |
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Alligator populations are down substantially especially the bigs since opening gator hunting seasons around 10yrs ago. I used to be able to go into many places on Santee Lakes or Cooper River and see 30-40 gators with multiple would be 10ft-ish, those same areas may have 3 or 4 with them ranging 3-6ft most the time. 8-10' gators are not the norm anymore and really a more of a true exception.
Most negative gator interactions are golf courses or residential ponds where people often walking their lapdogs or not respecting gator space. Attacks like this one is very uncommon but it makes the news. More people get bit by sharks annually.
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110%er [8650]
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We used to go skiing near there at bushy park when I was a kid
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:28 AM
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It adds a little urgency when you know you really don't wanna fall.
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Hall of Famer [22804]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:42 AM
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I got my scuba certification in 1979 and we did our open water certification dives in that area. The instructor told us to use our hand to follow the anchor rope to the bottom and then stay in contact with the line when we were on the bottom. They gave each of us a big light and even with it you could only see 10-12 inches in front of you. Well of course on the first dive I lost hold of the rope on the way down and had to surface and start over. I found a couple of teeth about as big as the back of my hand. No one ever even mentioned alligators so I don’t know if they weren’t as prevalent then or they just didn’t mention them but we never saw any on the 2 dives we did there. I didn’t do another open water dive until 1993 when we moved to St. Thomas. What a difference clear water makes.
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Legend [16733]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
Apr 22, 2024, 8:46 AM
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Do you still live in STT?
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Hall of Famer [22804]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:51 AM
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No. We lived there 1993 through 1995. Long time ago.
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All-In [30893]
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We use to catch baby gators in the creeks
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:42 AM
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Around the weapon station.
One day I was creeping up on a baby gator sunning on the creek Bank.
I was just about to jump when I saw 2 big eyes pop out of the water a foot a away from the baby. It looked to be only about a 6 foot gator but that was a foot taller than me so I
R U N T O F F. that was the last day I messed with baby gators.
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Orange Blooded [3281]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
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Apr 22, 2024, 8:48 AM
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Those teeth bring big money. I used to look for them and realized the areas the are in and likely to be found aren’t the beaches. Sure, massive Meg teeth have been found on the beach but that’s like winning the lottery. I have a pretty massive collection that includes fossilized alligator eggs. I’m just glad one of those Folsom’s children didn’t try to eat me! Lol
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110%er [6687]
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They can move very fast, I was videoing one at Waccamaw River tributary
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Apr 22, 2024, 9:45 AM
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at Brookgreen gardens on the bank,and got too close when with a swish of his big tail, he junmped in the River. So happy he did not come my way, because when I looked a the video, he was so quick, that he disappeared in the replay, he was faster than the video speed. That big tail is their motor and rudder.
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Trainer [35]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
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Apr 22, 2024, 12:17 PM
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Check out the podcast called “Real Survival Stories” on Spotify. There is a story similar to this one where the guy is diving for shark teeth in Florida - it’s called “Beware of Alligators.” Great podcast in general if you’re interested in survival stories.
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CU Medallion [62156]
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WOW! Smart man to be thinking about how to attack while being
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Apr 22, 2024, 12:43 PM
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ensnared in the alligator's mouth. Amazing he is still alive and that he still has his arm.
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All-In [39397]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
Apr 22, 2024, 6:16 PM
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Some of the fun days of my youth were hunting for sharks teeth.
Alligators are alligators. I hate when folks are harmed but hate when the alligator is then murdered for just being an alligator.
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CU Guru [1983]
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Re: Man is Cooper River near Goose Creek attacked by alligator
Apr 22, 2024, 9:03 PM
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The gators typically don't mess with people unless they've been fed on the regular by people or you're near a nest/babies.
However, I have seen some real dinosaurs swimming around those rice fields on the cooper that have made me stay away from hunting early teal unless it's from a boat.
You might remember, years ago a guy got his arm ripped off snorkeling around a lily pad pond on short stay lake Moultrie. I think they determined that momma was defending a nest nearby. You wouldn't catch me swimming around a lily pad pond....just stupid anyway you slice it in my opinion. If it ain't a gator it's probably gonna be a cottonmouth.
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Oculus Spirit [77305]
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His hobby can be dangerous.
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Apr 23, 2024, 1:49 AM
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I turn right on Pelham road and am in more danger.
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